[Headline] Horror in South Korea: Boeing 737 Crash Kills 179, Leaving Only Two Survivors in Shocking Impact
In a devastating turn of events, South Korea is observing a week of mourning following the catastrophic crash of flight 2216, operated by Cheju Air, at Muan International Airport, claim sources from BBC. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in the loss of 179 out of 181 lives on board, leaving only two crew members alive.
This horrific catastrophe is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 crash-landed in Guam jungle, killing 228 people. Moreover, it marks the first fatal incident in the 19-year history of Cheju Air, the low-cost carrier, and the most devastating aviation event of 2024 so far.
Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft bound for Seoul from Bangkok, carried 175 passengers and 6 crew members. As the plane prepared for landing at 8:58 AM local time, the pilots received a warning of a bird strike risk and were diverted to another runway. Just 60 seconds later, a distress signal was sent as a bird strike damaged one of the plane’s engines, forcing an emergency landing. The disaster, however, seemed to be caused by something else – the Airbus’s wheels failed to deploy, leaving investigators to focus on this aspect.
Witnessing the crash were several passengers who miraculously survived the initial impact. Two members of the crew – a man and a woman – managed to escape the wreckage with serious and critical injuries. They were subsequently transported to Mokpo city hospitals and later moved to Seoul’s Severance Hospital for further treatment.
the accident has left the South Korean aviation industry in chaos. Regional flights have been suspended, and safety checks on all aircraft are being conducted. The country’s transport ministry has stated that the principal pilot had been in his position since 2019 and had amassed over 6,800 flight hours.
The rescued crew members are currently in critical condition at the hospital. Despite initial fears for their lives, both are expected to recover. Tragically, among the identified fatalities, more than half cannot be identified by gender due to the extent of their injuries.
